Vienna for students
Vienna ranks 16th in this year’s Best Student Cities ranking. The city is home to Austria‘s two highest-ranked universities, the University of Vienna (151st in the world) and the Vienna University of Technology (joint 179th). It also offers some of the lowest tuition fees around for international students, earning it a top 60 score for affordability.
Vienna earns its highest score in the desirability indicator, placing in joint fifth. It’s frequently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities. With its unique charm and grand architecture, it’s easy to see why.
While its selection of universities is much smaller than cities such as London or Paris, Vienna is pretty hard to beat as a European city offering high quality of living combined with cultural activity and affordable tuition fees.
Best universities in Vienna
| Rank | University |
| 151 | University of Vienna |
| =179 | Vienna University of Technology |
More about Vienna
As well as providing a fantastic study environment, Vienna is also an ideal European base for anyone looking to explore the wider continent, with Germany, Italy and eastern Europe just a short journey away. While Vienna has fallen in rankings this year, it has improved its performance for desirability, helped by extremely low tuition fees.
| Number of universities ranked by QS | 2 |
| Highest-ranked institution | University of Vienna (151st in the world) |
| Population | 1,930,000 |
| Average international fees (at ranked unis) | US$900 |
| Desirability rank | =5th |
| Employer Activity rank | 29th |
| Affordability rank | 55th |
| Student View rank | 19th |
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.
Why study in Vienna?
It’s affordable
Vienna ranks 55th globally for affordability, with low tuition fees and a cheap cost of living.
High quality of life
Students in Vienna enjoy a high quality of life, reflected in its top 10 score for desirability.
Beautiful architecture
With Baroque buildings to contemporary architecture, Vienna blends the old with the new, helping to make the city beautiful.
Good prospects for graduates
Vienna scores in the top 50 for employer activity and the city is a hub of many international organisations.
What is the cost of studying in Vienna?
Vienna is one of the most affordable student cities in the world, with low tuition fees and a cheap cost of living in comparison to other European countries, such as the UK. The city ranks 55th for affordability.
This year, students can expect to pay around US$900 per year for tuition at Vienna’s universities. According to Numbeo, students should save around £670 per month for general living expenses, plus an additional £760 for an apartment in the city centre.
Life & culture in Vienna
One of Europe‘s most historic capitals, Vienna is awash with cultural riches, from the theatres and concert halls that witnessed the earliest performances of masterpieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, to the Sigmund Freud Museum, and numerous galleries displaying the works of Viennese artists such as Gustave Klimt and Egon Schiele.
In the winter, Vienna’s main square, Rathausplatz, becomes a huge ice rink. It’s Wiener Eistraum (or Ice World) is a must-see attraction.
Careers in Vienna
Vienna continues to rank among the world’s top 30 cities for employer activity, showing that graduate employees rate degrees from Vienna’s top universities very highly, which is excellent news for graduates.
Source: QS
